Last verified 2026-06-27
The registration path, in order
Bidding on federal contracts in Canada starts with identity. First you get a Business Number from the Canada Revenue Agency, the 9-digit number that identifies your business across government. Then you register as a supplier on CanadaBuys through Supplier Registration Information, which issues your Procurement Business Number. That number is derived from your Business Number, which is why the Business Number has to come first.
Getting set up to receive notices and bid
With your Procurement Business Number in hand, you create a CanadaBuys account and register in SAP Business Network, also known as SAP Ariba. This is the part that makes you operational: it is how you receive tender notifications for the work you care about and how you submit electronic bids on federal solicitations. Until you are registered here, you can read tenders but you cannot bid through the system.
The as-needed registrations
The last step depends on what you bid on. If you want to compete for Indigenous set-asides, you register in the Indigenous Business Directory. If a contract involves protected or classified information or sites, you obtain security clearance through the Contract Security Program. And once your taxable revenue passes the small-supplier threshold, you set up GST/HST with the CRA. None of these are universal, so treat them as triggered by the specific opportunity in front of you.
What this tool leaves out
This is a planning checklist of the standard sequence, not the full detail of each registration. The exact forms, processing times, and requirements change, and some contracts carry conditions beyond these steps. Use it to keep the order straight, then confirm the current process on CanadaBuys and with the Canada Revenue Agency. It is guidance, not legal advice.